Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses rape.

“Deep in darkness, far from warmth and sun and moons, I lie, quiet as the stone that surrounds me, imprisoning my hunched body in a dreadful womb.”

Darrow’s isolation is framed as a rebirth in the text. By using imagery of Darrow within a womb and noting that the stay takes nine months, Brown draws out these comparisons. However, the rebirth has negative connotations given the word “dreadful,” suggesting that the way forward will not be simple. This builds suspense for the events of the novel.

“The Golds carve their deeds into their swords. The grand, violent shit they’ve done. But Ares thought you’d prefer to see the people you love.”

The differences between the images carved into Darrow’s blade when compared to those on the Golds is a notable example of the values celebrated by each side in the war. Brown emphasizes that Gold culture is based off the pursuit of glory, while the Rising develops a communal sense of purpose and wish for a better world.

“But Victra would have died for me. In the darkness, I thought of her. The childish joy in her eyes when I gave her the bottle of petrichor in the Jackal’s study. ‘I didn’t know. Darrow, I didn’t know,’ was the last thing she said to me after Roque betrayed us. Death around, bullets in her back, and all she wanted was me to think well of her in the end.”

Through Darrow’s memories of his time with Victra, Brown constructs exposition for her loyal and kind character. By doing this, Brown shows that, when she struggles with believing that she can be better than the other members of her family later in the book, it stems from her insecurities. He conveys that, despite her low opinion of herself, Victra is a good person.